Training Information and Links:

There are 2 aspects to raising a well adjusted puppy and creating a reliable companion and especially a self assured show dog. Respect for the developmental stages in the life of a dog as well as a constructive training process will work in tandum to produce the best possible result.

Puppy Training and Development:

Training can begin very early in a puppy's life, even before they are born!

I used these exercises back in the late 80s and early 90s. At that time there were 6 exercises. The last exercise in the series uses a "lazy susan". The puppy was placed in the middle of the lazy susan and it is spun for 3 to 5 seconds. I'm not sure why this exercise is not listed anymore.

"Clicker Training":

Most of my "dog life" has been spent in the behavior and training arenas. From the time my first puppy, Coach, was 8 weeks old, I have strived to educate myself and others on how to maintain a well adjusted, happy dog. As a breeder, all of my puppies came with puppy kindergarten lessons, which were a requirement for purchase of one of my puppies. As a past member of the Capital Dog Training Club and a past training director for that club, I was afforded the opportunity to not only train my dogs for advanced obedience, hunting and tracking test titles, but also to have access, as the instructor, to well over 1200 dogs of all breeds for puppy through advanced novice training. As an instructor for CDTC the opportunity to take advanced training with Diane Bauman, Julie Howard, Karen Pryor, and Dr. Ian Dunbar were highlights of my time with that club.

From those beginnings I have been actively persuing a more enlightened form of behavior modification and shaping known commonly as "Clicker Training". To use this title does the technique a disservice. For some, it trivializes the power that this technique has for reliably training a dog, or any animal for that matter. A close friend attended the Marian and Bob Bailey Chicken Training Camp. Yes even chickens can be trained using this technique. Marian Bailey was one of the graduate students working with B. F. Skinner, making ground breaking discoveries in the area of operant conditioning back in the 1930s. Her continued work in the area of animal training moved operant conditioning into the forefront for animal training. This is NOT food training. Food can be used as one of the rewards, but in most cases it is not the sole reward. "Marking a behavior" and "Rewarding" are very interesting and complex topics. They are not just the handing out of "treats" for an offered behavior. Many different points need to be taken into consideration before it can be applied properly, and with precision, to evoke the best result. Karen Pryor and the Bailey's have done much to simplify and demystify this type of training. Finding the best way to apply these techniques is key to its success.

The links below will take you to more information on this subject. Research these topics further. The links are just examples of what is on the internet concerning this topic.